Headwear



Aug. 7, 1962 J. SPREIREGEN HEADWEAR Filed Oct. 15, 1959 FIG.I.

3,047,879 HEADWEAR Jacques Spreiregen, London, England (12 Ave. Leon-(laud, Geneva, Switzerland) Filed Oct. 15, 1959, Ser. No. 846,756 1 Claim. (Cl. 2-181) This invention relates to headwear.

It frequently occurs that a traveller in a motor-coach or a railway train or an aircraft desires to rest his head against the back of his seat, sometimes in order to sleep, but finds that it is not very comfortable owing to the vibration or the position of the headrest. Motor-cyclists and miners and other wearers of protective helmets or headwear sometimes find that the padding or harness in the headwear tends to cause discomfort by unduly localised pressure, and in case of accident may transmit damaging force from the headwear shell to the wearers head.

The present invention is therefore intended to provide an improved article of headwear.

According to the present invention an article of headwear is provided with one or more cushions which can be inflated to act as a cushion or cushions for the wearers head. In a convenient arrangement there are two somewhat crescent-shaped cushions located so that they can engage the lower rear part of the wearers head. The cushion or cushions may be formed by securing one or more pieces of airtight sheet material to a lining of airtight sheet material. Any suitable airtight material may be employed, for example rubber or synthetic resin or coated or impregnated fabric, and the material should of course be soft and flexible fOr comfort. In an advantageous construction the cushion or cushions can be inflated by means of one or more small tubes (for example by mouth) which may be closed by suitable means (for example by folding and securing the tube by a clip or by inserting a plug in the end of the tube). The article of headwear may be of any desired kind. For travellers it is preferably of a soft and flexible nature, for example it may be a beret or a cap, whereas for motor-cyclists or workers requiring protection the headwear will comprise an appropriate shell with substantially conventional fittings.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which FIGURE 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a cap according to the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a sectional side elevation of a beret according to the invention, and

FIGURE 3 illustrates a modified detail.

FIGURE 1 shows a cap comprising a crown portion and a head-band 11. Inside the rear part of the cap is a rubber cushion 12 which can be inflated by means of a small rubber tube 13 which is folded over at the end and secured by a clip 14. When inflated the cushion Fatented Aug. 7, 1952 ice from the front.

FIGURE 2 shows a beret comprising a crown portion 10 and a head-band 11 and provided with a toroidal cushion 15 of soft synthetic resin, for example polyvinyl chloride. The cushion 15 is located and dimensioned so that it can encircle the rear part of the wearers head, and it can be inflated by means of a small tube 16 which can be closed by means of a removable plug 17 pushed into its end.

FIGURE 3 shows parts of a hat comprising a crown portion 10 and a head-band 11. The hat is provided with a lining 18 of soft sheet material such as polythene, and the margin of a piece of similar material is Welded to the rear part thereof to form two interconnected somewhat crescent-shaped cushions 19 located so that they can engage the lower rear part of the wearers head. The two cushions 19 can be inflated by means of a small flexible tube 20 which can be closed by folding over its end and securing it with a plastic clip 21. If the article of hearwear comprises a body or shell which is substantially impermeable to air the cushion or cushions may be formed by attaching flexible impermeable material to the body or shell, for example by adhesive, or by welding in the case of thermo-plastic material. One or more valves may be provided to enable the cushion or cushions to be inflated by means of a pump, for example a pump of the kind usually carried on motor-cycles or motorscooters for inflating the tyres.

From the above description it will be seen that the articles of headwear described will give increased comfort to the wearer when the cushions are inflated to constitute air cushions against which the head can rest instead of leaning the head directly against the back of a seat or the like.

I claim:

An article of headwear, comprising a crown portion, a lining of air-impervious weldable soft sheet material inside said crown portion, a piece of air-impervious weldable soft sheet material marginally welded to the rear part of said lining, said piece of sheet material having a shape such that marginal welding of said piece of sheet material to said lining creates two interconnected crescent-shaped inflatable cushions to engage the head of a person wearing the article of headwear, and a closable flexible tube in connection with said cushions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 338,033 Carskadon Mar. 16, 1886 805,750 Redgrave Nov. 28, 1905 1,726,270 Kantrowitz Aug. 27, 1929 FOREIGN PATENTS 25,232 Great Britain Nov. 4, 1912 

